Connector for light waveguides and method of producing same

Abstract

A connector having connector parts comprising a carrier plate having parallelly extending centering grooves for receiving light waveguides held by a cover plate characterized by each of the connector parts being held in alignment with an adjacent part by guide elements having ribs extending into auxiliary grooves formed in the carrier plates. Preferably, each of the individual centering grooves has a dimension to receive a waveguide free of any protective layers or cladding and the grooves opposite the abutting face are provided with enlargements such as a common recess to enable receiving the waveguides with the layer. Preferably, the carrier plates are made of silicon and the grooves for both centering and the guide elements are etched therein.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a connector for a plurality of light waveguides, said connector having two carrier plates, each plate having means for guiding the waveguides including V-shaped, parallel centering grooves etched into a surface of the plate, the improvements comprising each plate having an abutting surface extending transverse to the grooves and a joining region being formed adjacent said abutting surface, said grooves in the joining region having dimensions for receiving and positioning the waveguides free of any protective layer and cladding; a cover element for covering the grooves with the waveguides therein; two guide elements extending between the two plates and bridging the abutting surfaces to hold the plates with the grooves aligned; said cover element having a width less than the width of the carrier plate to provide two laterally spaced exposed portions on said plates; both of said laterally exposed portions having at least one auxiliary groove extending parallel to the centering grooves and the two guide elements having a ridge for engagement in the auxiliary groove; and means for holding the carrier plate, the cover element and the guide elements together. 
     
     
       2. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein the cover element is formed by two cover plates with one cover plate for each carrier plate. 
     
     
       3. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein a single cover element extends across both carrier plates. 
     
     
       4. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the centering grooves adjacent an edge opposite the abutting surface are interconnected by a recess of a depth sufficient to enable accepting the light waveguides with their protective coating. 
     
     
       5. In a connector according to claim 4 wherein the cover element has a planar portion for engaging the joining region of the carrier plate having the centering grooves and an etched-out recess facing the recess in the carrier plate to facilitate receiving the protective layers of the waveguides. 
     
     
       6. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein each auxiliary groove has a trapezoidal cross-section and the ridge of the guide element has a corresponding cross-section. 
     
     
       7. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of auxiliary grooves are disposed side-by-side and parallel to each other. 
     
     
       8. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein auxiliary grooves are provided along both sides of the centering groove. 
     
     
       9. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the guide elements is releasably connected to the carrier plates to form a releasable connection therebetween. 
     
     
       10. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein the guide elements are secured in the auxiliary grooves of the two carrier plates to form a non-releasable connection therebetween. 
     
     
       11. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein the means for holding comprises a resilient clamp element. 
     
     
       12. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein the means for holding comprises an adhesive. 
     
     
       13. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein the means for holding comprises a housing receiving the element. 
     
     
       14. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein the means for holding includes an adhesive inserted at the abutting surface between the cover and the carrier plate to hold the cover and plate together with the waveguides in the centering grooves, said adhesive withstanding grinding and polishing. 
     
     
       15. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein the abutting surface is formed by grinding and polishing after assembling the cover on the waveguides and the centering groove. 
     
     
       16. In a connector according to claim 2, wherein each of the carrier plates are silicon. 
     
     
       17. In a connector according to claim 14, wherein the guide elements and cover plates consist of silicon. 
     
     
       18. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein each of the centering grooves adjacent an edge of the carrier plate opposite the abutting surface has an expanded size to enable receiving the waveguide with the protective layer. 
     
     
       19. In a connector according to claim 18, wherein the expanded size of the centering groove comprises a common recess. 
     
     
       20. In a connector according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the abutting surface is separated by a recess in the area of the centering groove so that the centering grooves terminate at a space from the plane of the abutting surface. 
     
     
       21. In a connector according to claim 20, wherein each of the light waveguides disposed in the grooves has an end freely extending in the region of the recess. 
     
     
       22. In a connector according to claim 20, wherein each recess has a depth in the range of 0.1 mm and 1 mm. 
     
     
       23. In a connector according to claim 22, wherein the recess has a depth of approximately 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       24. In a connector according to claim 23, wherein each of the carrier plates has a cover, each of said covers having a recess overlying the recess in the carrier plate. 
     
     
       25. In a connector according to claim 24, which includes providing an immersion fluid in the region of the overlying recesses. 
     
     
       26. In a connector according to claim 25, which includes means for closing the overlying recesses to form a cavity containing the immersion fluid. 
     
     
       27. In a connector according to claim 25, wherein each of the recesses of the carrier plate and cover does not extend through the entire thickness of the respective plate and cover. 
     
     
       28. A method for the production of a connector having a carrier plate with parallelly extending V-shaped grooves for receiving waveguides free of protective layers, said grooves extending into a common recess of a depth to receive the waveguide with the protective layer, each of the carrier plates having a cover for holding the waveguides in the centering groove and guide elements for holding a pair of plates with the grooves and waveguides of one plate aligned with the grooves and waveguides of the other plate as abutting surfaces are in contact with each other, said method comprising the steps of stripping the ends of the waveguides of the protective layer, holding the waveguides to extend parallel to each other with a spacing corresponding to the spacing of the centering grooves of the carrier plate; moving the carrier plate so that the centering grooves receive the stripped waveguide ends and the recess receives the waveguides with the protective layer and assembling the cover onto the carrier plate to hold the waveguides in the respective grooves. 
     
     
       29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the step of stripping includes utilizing chemical means for stripping the protective layer. 
     
     
       30. A method according to claim 28, wherein the stripping is accomplished by mechanical means. 
     
     
       31. A method according to claim 28, wherein subsequent to assembling the cover on the carrier plate the method includes moistening the waveguides with a adhesive. 
     
     
       32. A method according to claim 31, which includes curing the adhesive by applying heat. 
     
     
       33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the adhesive is actuated by ultraviolet light and the method includes curing the adhesive by applying ultraviolet light radiation to the assembled parts.